


Make A Move Or Move On

by digthewriter



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Community: tavern_tales, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2015-02-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 12:48:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1429153
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/digthewriter/pseuds/digthewriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Merlin is trying to upload a naked picture of him for a "dating" site and accidentally sends it to Arthur</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The Merlin sandbox belongs to Shine and the BBC, I just play in it while they are out doing other things. No profit whatsoever has been made by this short story.

* * *

This was the first time Merlin was trying anything like it. Really, it only started as a joke. Will had dared him to do it so Merlin said he’d at least try.  
  
Yeah, that’s really how it started.  
  
“Okay,” Merlin said right before he dropped the towel and grabbed his mobile. He started to stroke himself in front of the mirror a little bit to get things going, then he was going to take a picture.  
  
Just one.  
  
He would crop his face out and then upload it to the site.  
  
That was the plan.  
  
It would have been a random username and no one would know if it was him. He’d see if anyone was interested, then maybe email back and forth a bit and figure out if he wanted to meet the bloke. So that _was_ the plan that he’d told Will. In reality, he wasn’t going to tell Will that he really didn’t intend to talk to anyone. He was just doing this so Will could back off a little bit.  
  
“Your crush on Arthur is driving me mad. You either make a move on Arthur, or move on.” Will’s voice had been so resolute that Merlin knew there was no way out of it.  
  
His only option was to pretend to upload his picture on _HUNGry_ , and show Will that he was moving on. Or trying anyway.  
  
With his hands trembling just a bit, Merlin focused on the camera phone and clicked. He didn’t even have a moment to look at it when his phone buzzed, and a message popped up.  
  
 _Have you done it yet?_  
  
It was Will, and he was being his usual annoying self.  
  
 _I’m just about to post it, git_. Merlin responded. He shook his head and returned to the picture in question. The phone buzzed again.  
  
 _Send it to me, I want proof_.  
  
Merlin shook his head. That was _not_ happening. _I’m not sending you a picture of my cock_.  
  
 _…then it didn’t happen_.  
  
Merlin sighed and decided to send the picture to Will before cropping it and uploading it on the website. He clicked on the _share_ icon, then _email_ , when he noticed that he had an unread message. Saving the picture in his drafts, Merlin clicked on the inbox. It was an email from Arthur Pendragon.  
  
Merlin took a deep breath. Why was Arthur emailing him? He click on the message and as he scrolled down, Will sent him another message.  
  
“For fuck’s sake,” Merlin grumbled and tried to send the picture in a text to Will instead of emailing it. After sending him the message, Merlin accidentally exited out of the email program. He tapped on the icon for the email and searched for Arthur’s name. As he typed A – R – T—Arthur’s named popped up and he pressed on ‘okay’.  
  
 _Send message_?  
  
“What? No!” Merlin yelled at his phone and as he went to hit ‘cancel’, he hit ‘send’.  
  
Damn his slippery fingers.  
  
“NO!” Merlin screamed. What had he done?  
  
He’d accidentally _emailed_ Arthur a picture of him… _naked_. He couldn’t even claim that it was spam because he hadn’t cropped the photo yet, and Arthur would get it. A picture of him. Naked. Hard. NAKED. ARTHUR!  
  
Merlin was officially freaking out.  
  
A second later, his phone buzzed.  
  
 _Nice cock_.  
  
 _Fuck off, Will_.  
  
Merlin was livid. It was all Will’s fault. If he hadn’t made Merlin do this in the first place, none of this was going to happen!  
  
 _Merlin_?  
  
His phone had buzzed again and this time it wasn’t Will sending him a text message.  
  
Shit! Fuck! What was Merlin going to do? Arthur had clearly just seen the picture and sent him a message to check on him. What would he say?  
  
 _Hi Arthur, sorry about the email. I didn’t mean too—Fuck, I’m so embarrassed_.  
  
Merlin waited patiently for a response. He hoped that Will wouldn’t write back because that would only agitate him further. He paced up and down his hallway naked before he realised how chilly his flat really was. He grabbed the towel off the floor and wrapped it around him. He headed to his bedroom to find clothes to sleep in. Maybe in the morning, this would all have been a dream.  
  
His phone chimed again.  
  
 _There’s nothing to be embarrassed about._  
  
Merlin read the message twice before acknowledging that he had read it correctly.  
  
 _Well, I’m not embarrassed about that. I just can’t believe I sent it to you accidentally_. He didn’t know what else to say. He was in the situation, and might as well make the most of it. Arthur didn’t seem totally repulsed by it. Maybe there was hope.  
  
 _Some accidents are really blessings in disguise. Now I’ll have something to think about tonight_.  
  
“What?” Merlin nearly screeched. How did this happen? Was Arthur flirting with him? Holy fuck! Merlin’s mind was screaming—racing with ideas and imaginations and hope! Before he could write back a response, he received another message.  
  
 _Sorry if that was rude._  
  
Merlin smiled and grabbed his mobile with both hands. _Not rude at all. Your message was well received and it’s really too bad that I don’t have a visual to focus on for tonight_. He bit his lower lip as he sent the message. What was he doing? Would Arthur text him back a naked picture of himself? Merlin could only wish.  
  
 _I’m afraid that I’m not as bold as you to send you something by text or email._  
  
Merlin took a deep breath before responding. _You know where I live_.  
  
 _I do._ Arthur answered, and sent another message. _Be there in fifteen minutes. Don’t start without me_.  
  
Merlin chuckled as he read the second message. _I wouldn’t dare_ , he replied.  
  
Perhaps he wouldn’t really kill Will either. After all, it was his idea for Merlin to make a move or move on.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Theme for the chapter: gloves, neckerchiefs, laces

Merlin opened the door after the first ring of the doorbell. He'd expected Arthur to be there and much to his surprise, and annoyance, it was Will. "What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"I thought I'd help you out and take more photos for the website. Why are you wearing—why are you dressed up?" Will gave him a once-over and continued to walk into Merlin's flat. 

"I'm not dressed up and I don't want to take any more pictures, thank you very much. The one I took has already caused me enough trouble." Merlin kept the door open and he was about to tell Will that he needed to leave when Will grabbed one of Merlin's neckerchiefs and started to play with it. "Leave that alone." 

Merlin marched up to his friend and yanked the cloth out of his hands. "I was going to—" 

"You've got a date," Will said. 

"Sort of. Now I want you to get out—" 

"Wait. You already posted that picture and you've got someone coming over—" 

"If I _had_ posted that picture and was going to have someone come over for sex, I wouldn't dress like this," Merlin said and realised that now he'd already said too much. _Shite_. 

"Who is it?" 

"Arthur." Merlin knew that there was no point in beating around the bush; the faster he told Will the truth, the fast he could get Will to leave. 

"Really?" 

"Yes. I'll tell you all about tomorrow when we go to the pub but now you have to leave!" Merlin walked up to the door again and opened it. This time, Arthur was standing there. _Bloody brilliant_.

Arthur looked up at Merlin and smiled before his gaze fell on Will. "I...uh...didn't realise it was going to be _that_ kind of a party," he said calmly. 

"It's not. Will was just leaving." 

"Ex-boyfriend?" Arthur whispered to Merlin. 

"God, no!" Merlin exclaimed. "He just came by to— Anyway, please come in." 

Arthur walked into Merlin's flat and gave Will a curt nod. "I brought some beer—"

"Why? Wine was too romantic for a casual fuck?" Will sneered.

Merlin glared at Will as he stood behind Arthur. What the fuck was he on about? Will was the one who was pushing Merlin to make a move and now he was being such an arse! 

Merlin took the beer off Arthur's hands who then removed his gloves and placed them in his jacket pocket. "I— I'm not sure what I've done to offend you," Arthur said politely, which really shocked Merlin because Will was being a complete wanker. "You're not his ex but you sound like you're...jealous. I just stopped by because—"

"I know why you stopped by. I'm Merlin's best friend; I know everything." Merlin shook his head and proceeded to hang his head low while he pinched the bridge of his nose. This was not the time for this. 

"Good for you," Arthur said, and then turned to Merlin to speak. "I thought we were just going to hang out." Merlin nodded because he really didn't know what else to do. "I don't do casual sex. I just saw your email and with our conversation — I figured it was my only chance to — nevermind." 

"Chance for what?" Merlin said before Will could interject and ruin everything again. 

"Well I took a chance and flirted with you and you were responsive so I just wanted to see where that goes." 

"The flirting?" Merlin asked. 

"Yes." 

"And the sex?" Will said and Merlin rolled his eyes. 

"Well that would come after," Arthur answered, looking at Merlin and ignoring Will.

Merlin smiled at Arthur and couldn't help as he bit his lower lip. "Will, you should go," he said, not taking his eyes off Arthur. 

They stood there smiling at each other, Arthur with his hands in his pockets, and Merlin holding the beer. Will threw the neckerchief at Merlin and headed towards the door. 

Before he could close the door, Will turned to say one last thing. "Arthur, make sure to ask him about his lace fetish." Then he slammed the door and Merlin groaned with frustration and embarrassment. "I _don't_ know why I'm friends with him." 

"For one thing..." Arthur drawled as he closed the distance between himself and Merlin. "He's working wonders for _my_ sex life."


End file.
